


Orange Renaissance

by Ethanol



Category: Love Live! School Idol Project, Love Live! Superstar!! (Anime)
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), F/F, Gen, How Do I Tag This, Post-Canon, Tags May Change, happy birthday Umi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-15
Updated: 2021-03-15
Packaged: 2021-03-23 04:21:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,584
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30049845
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ethanol/pseuds/Ethanol
Summary: Kanon is hard at work practicing for Leilla's live performance. Unfortunately, the pieces aren't falling together for her.What seems to be a unique problem in her eyes would turn out not to be as odd as she thought.
Relationships: Shibuya Kanon & Sonoda Umi, Shibuya Kanon/Sonoda Umi
Comments: 4
Kudos: 8
Collections: Umi's Birthday Bash





	Orange Renaissance

End notes of a song trailed out into the air, an echoed hum from a microphone following suit. Sitting down on the floor, Kanon heaved a listless sigh as amethyst eyes scanned the old patterns of wood walls. The aesthetics of the room contrasted to the equipment installed on varnished wood, black wires lining cornices guiding her gaze.

She stood back up, picking up the microphone as she made her way over to a phone on the table. Loosening her thoughts with a sigh, she pressed the rewind before walking back to the center. "One more time."

In front of the wall mirror, Kanon watched her every movement. Shy, unsure steps paired with shaky singing as the song played. A mistaken step sparked a domino of blunders for a few seconds before she'd either restart the song or soldier on and hope to remember her mistakes. Once more, the same song faded into its end. Once more, her feet shuffled against the wood in frustration. She still wasn't up to par with the school idols she'd watch online. At this rate, she wouldn't even catch up with Chisato in her current performance.

Yet, Kanon didn't know what to do. She memorized the steps in her head, the lyrics second nature after a week of learning. However, putting them together never seemed to work no matter how much she tried. She looked down at the microphone in her hand, her shoulders lax as she sighed. Perhaps she wasn't cut out for this, after all.

"Long hours today, it seems?" A voice startled her, whipping her gaze to the door. Honey gold met in a soft look, the owner of said eyes doing nothing to calm her astonishment.

"S-Sonoda-sensei?!" Kanon gulped, fumbling with the microphone in her hands as a means of distraction as her Japanese teacher, Umi Sonoda, walked in the practice room. "D-Do you need something?"

Sonoda shook her head, stifling a small laugh with her hand at the deer caught in headlights. "I was making my rounds when I heard music from down the hall. I thought I would come investigate."

Kanon made a shy noise, shuffling her feet with eyes trailing the slits between floorboards. She hadn't done anything wrong, asking for permission before using the room, but she still felt embarrassed especially with this certain teacher. It wasn't that Sonoda was disliked. On the contrary, the students of Yuigaoka adored her. Strict at times, she was a caring person with a steadfast passion in her teachings. Paired with the coach for traditional archery and an affinity for poetry, she was a textbook example of a traditional Japanese beauty. Kanon even heard of some classmates harboring a crush on their teacher, which she found understandable.

Kanon coughed, shaking away her thoughts. Not that she'd know personally, of course.

"Practicing for something important, Kanon?" Sonoda's words brought her back to the room, frantic eyes snapping over to her teacher walking over to the open space.

"No! I mean, yes! B-but," Kanon stuttered, closing her mouth to rethink her words. The moments of silence proved too anxious, so she forced herself to speak. "It's not for school, but it is... in a way."

She looked up, meeting slight amusement amidst a look of confusion. Sonoda brought a hand to her chin, sharp eyes looking her over from head to toe. "Do you need any help?"

Sonoda found a phone sat atop the table on one end of the room. Without hesitation, she stepped over. Behind her, sputtered words from the first year. "A-Ah, wait-!"

Her words were a little too late as Sonoda pressed play, the room silent for a moment before music began to play. It was cheery and sprightly, a lively beat that would make any listener excited. For Kanon, she was horrified as she tried to make her way over to her teacher to explain herself. "Sensei, I can explain-"

"You composed this, Kanon?" Sonoda turned around, their eyes meeting. Kanon stopped in her tracks, shocked at the unexpected look on her face. For a person like Umi Sonoda, who carried herself in her work with sophistication and a near-air of nobility, she expected modern music to be something she might dislike. It's what mainly worried Kanon when she saw her enter the room.

Yet, Kanon didn't expect the look of nostalgia softening her look. A reminiscing smile tugging at her lips that accentuated the setting light filtering through the window. For a small moment, Kanon forgot the sounds of music playing from the speakers. In front of her, Sonoda tapped her foot to the beat, dainty, but sharp timing to the song.

Her lips parted, the small smile never leaving. "Idol music?"

Kanon nodded, eyes darting away from the stare sent her way. Hands gripped the microphone, the music fading out in the background in lieu of her beating heart. Lips parted, words hushed out in a shy whisper. "Y-yeah..."

"It's a lovely song, Kanon." Sonoda's words brought her eyes back over to the front, then up when realizing she was closer. Kanon took a step back, failing to cool the red of her cheeks.

"You uh, listen to these kinds of songs, Sonoda-sensei?" she asked, watching the smile on her teacher's face grow wider as honey gold flickered away to somewhere far. Kanon followed her eyes, noticing she was looking at a random spot on the wall.

"Not particularly nowadays. However, these songs are very nostalgic to me."

"Nostalgic?" Kanon repeated, cocking her head in curiosity. Sonoda cast her look back, meeting her gaze. Then, a nod.

"Yes. I was around your age when I first listened to such music," Sonoda answered with a quiet laugh. Kanon hummed in awe, prior embarrassment fading as interest grew. Taking a step closer, she looked up with a glimmer in her eyes.

"How did you come to know school idols, sensei?" Kanon asked excitedly. "Were they different compared to idols now?"

Sonoda quirked a brow, humming aloud in thought at the sudden question sent her way. Before she answered she gave a laugh at how the first year's attitude seemed to take a 180. "I'm not certain about school idols now, but I would assume they are still the same."

She took a moment to pause with a trailing gaze. Kanon was curious at the nostalgic look returning to her eyes. "As for how I knew. I had a friend introduce them to me."

"A friend? What were they like?" Kanon was unsure why she asked the question. It left her lips before she realized. Well, anyone that left an impression on someone like Sonoda-sensei is worthy of knowing about. She stared up, hands clasping the microphone with her full attention focused. Sonoda watched her bounce on the balls of her feet, lively orange hair moving to the sway.

She hummed a laugh, moving a finger to the side of her head. "Well, since you asked. Let's see, she's a close friend of mine. Stubborn, narrow-minded, and a bit of an airhead at times."

They were words Kanon expected least to hear with a fond tone. If she remembered right, Sonoda used some of those words in stern reprimand in the past. Yet, the words were softer, carried with a sense of nostalgia and joy. Sonoda stifled a laugh to herself, looking off to the side. "Goodness. If she knew that high school children still had interest in school idols, I wouldn't hear the end of it."

"Are school idols important to your friend, Sonoda-sensei?" Her question stopped the gentle motions of her teacher. A momentary panic flashed in her mind, worried that she asked the wrong question. Anxiousness left her body when Sonoda nodded, humming an amused tune.

"It meant a lot to her, yes, Kanon. She was a school idol herself."

"R-Really?!" Sonoda nodded at the burst of a question. Kanon shrunk back, embarrassed at the uncontrolled outburst. "Ah, I'm sorry for raising my voice!"

Sonoda waved a hand, brushing away the apology. "Don't worry, and yes. She was a school idol. Pretty much she jumped into it without a single thought. Stubborn as always but she was most excited at the prospect."

She reached a hand forward, Kanon staring as it moved across the gap between them and settling on a tuft of orange hair. "She'd practice on her own at times around the school. It got her in serious trouble once, but it showed her passion for being a school idol."

Kanon looked up at the warmth on her head, red blooming on her face at the closeness of her teacher. Yet, she couldn't move away from the touch and the familiar look from Sonoda. "What kind of school idol were they, sensei?"

"What kind?" she repeated, hovering her hand just shy to ponder her question. "She was quick to say her mind, and the rest of... the rest followed her. She was the leader, you could say.”

Long fingertips felt the soft texture of bright orange hair, trailing down to the tips brushing on her shoulders. "In a way, she was somewhat like you, Kanon."

"I think I take time before I speak what I think, Sonoda-sensei," Kanon said with a non-serious pout. Sonoda hummed a light laugh, lifting her hand away from the tuft of orange.

"Of course you aren't. With a good head on your shoulders, I foresee only success in your endeavors as a school idol."

Words that would instill confidence in anybody only left her shrinking back. Kanon broke her gaze away, undeserving of her teacher's assurance. Silence choked her speech, simply watching the shadows on the floor. Before she could tune in to the dissonance outside, a cutting voice brought her back to the moment. "Kanon?"

Amethyst orbs snapped up to find an unwavering gaze of honey gold. Her face burned, thoughts floating in static as the seconds ticked on. Her lips parted, stumbling out honesty before she could catch them. "I... I'm not sure I'll be able to."

Sonoda raised a brow but kept silent, prompting her to continue. Words stopped at her tongue, her thoughts conveyed with gestures to her own self. "This. Being a school idol."

"What made you arrive at such a conclusion?" Her voice was soft, almost comforting; a disarming warmth in her tone that moved Kanon to speak despite her embarrassment. She swallowed anxiety, seeping a short breath before she spoke. 

"I've memorized our song and the dance steps Chisato made for Leilla. Yet every time I try doing them both, I end up messing one or the other. And," Kanon paused, hesitating for a moment before she continued, "when I think about performing in front of people, I get embarrassed and stutter."

A wry smile cracked across her face, offering it to the musing expression of her teacher. "It's pretty pathetic trying to become a school idol yet I feel this way. Wouldn't you agree, Sonoda-sensei?"

Golden eyes blinked. Kanon raised a brow at the softening expressions on Sonoda's face, her confusion growing as a smile tugged at her lips. "I don't think that at all, Kanon. On the contrary, what you're doing is quite brave."

"B-Brave?" she repeated with a nervous stammer. Sonoda hummed, taking a step closer. Just like that, Kanon was aware of the diminishing distance between them, but a warmth near her hand took precedence. She looked down, watching hands bigger than her own tighten around the microphone. She loosened her grip, allowing Sonoda to bring the microphone toward her.

"Everyone becomes afraid, Kanon. It's something one shouldn't be ashamed of." Kanon watched another smile grace her teacher's face, a certain crescent of her lips whenever she would talk about memories of her past. "However what defines someone is whether they accept that fear or break out of it."

"Was... your friend like this too, sensei?" Kanon found herself asking. Sonoda bubbled a reactive laugh, short and quickly stifled.

"Heavens no. That girl couldn't define the term even if it flicked her on the forehead." Slender hands grazed the microphone. Kanon watched her attention focused on the silver glint of the metal with the same smile. "However, there was someone in her group who was. Though, she preferred to accept her apprehensions and stay her course."

Sonoda looked to the window, a distant look in her eyes. "So, she was thankful that there was somebody there to break her out of that fear." 

The quiet that fell between them didn't linger long, Sonoda emerging from a brief reverie with a small mumble. Kanon picked up the noise, but was unable to discern the words. Before she could ask, the microphone was pushed gently on her chest. Hands hesitated, nervous fingertips settling on the smoothness of metal and the skin of her teacher. The smile was different, a radiant warmth framed by azure hair. 

"To be both afraid and willing to break out of that fear on your own, Kanon. To me, there's nothing braver."

Kanon felt her hands slip away, leaving her hands to catch the microphone. The plastic grip still lingered with her warmth, and she held tightly before looking up at her eyes. Lips parted, but her mind couldn't quite yet comprehend the new feeling in her chest. It was a surging sensation, urging her body to move. However, it was a bubbly feeling, one that left a smile on her face. Yet, words eluded her. Kanon bit her lip, resolving herself to express in another way. "Sonoda-sensei?"

A knowing smile crossed Sonoda's lips, acknowledging the call with a soft tone. "Yes, Kanon?"

Holding the microphone close, Kanon took steps back to an open spot on the floor. "I think I want to practice one more time!"

There was a sole nod, followed by long strides to the phone left on the table. Kanon looked to her reflection on the wall mirror, heaving a breath to clear her thoughts. Her previous apprehensions seemed replaced by the bubbling feeling inside, bringing a spring to her step as she limbered up to dance. She watched her teacher from the mirror, taking notice of the reoccurring quirk of the lip since they talked today.

When she gave a thumbs up, honey gold blinked before glancing down at the phone in her hand. "Ready, Kanon?"

"Ready! Music start!"

There was a small moment of silence, Kanon's gaze met by a wide stare of surprise. It was gone a moment after, replaced by a warm expression as Sonoda pressed play on the song. Her attention was torn away, focused on the opening of the notes familiar to her. Fingertips danced along the microphone, restless for the moment of the first note. 

Then, it was just her and now it was just her teacher, but soon she would be able to perform on a stage with an audience to marvel at her and Leilla. Kanon sang, her steps matching each note with upbeat excitement. She was unsure of this newfound confidence, but the smile on her teacher's face was a sign to take it to heart.

It was an extraordinary feeling, one Kanon was unfamiliar. Yet, it sat comfortably in the room as she gave it her all. 

Standing behind, watching with a look of both familiarity and awe, Umi Sonoda couldn't wipe the smile spread across her lips. Lively orange hair tailed behind energetic movements, her eyes glued to each motion from the mirror.

It was a sight she was happy to see again.

**Author's Note:**

> happy birthday oom
> 
> im here to contribute to the oomi birthday bash with two orange pairs, though this one is less shippy and more platonic 
> 
> i hope you enjoy, and let me know what you think and make sure to celebrate oom day by checking out the other works in the collection
> 
> thanks hoshi for setting it up, this was fun


End file.
